


Lana Is The Best

by Crane_Kick



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Drabble, Emotional Infidelity, F/M, Male-Female Friendship, Not Beta Read, Pre-Relationship, The Author Regrets Everything, but no real infidelity, could be seen as friendship, yet - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-29
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-10-19 02:41:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17593088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crane_Kick/pseuds/Crane_Kick
Summary: Lana has had the worst night.She wasn't expecting the help that she got.





	Lana Is The Best

**Author's Note:**

> I don't even know.
> 
> I've wanted to write something between Shinsuke and Lana for a while now, and after watching the Rumble yesterday this came to mind.

_Of all nights...why did it have to be tonight..._

Lana used the heels of her palms to wipe at her cheeks: trying to remove the evidence of her tears but knowing she was probably only succeeding in ruining her make-up even further. Not that she really cared. It wasn't as if it mattered at this point anyway. She had been injured earlier in the night: Nia Jax had kicked her already-lamed ankle out from under her: and even though she was determined to still at least try, Becky Lynch had taken Lana's spot in the women's royal rumble match. She was being cheered right now as Lana was left in gorilla by the ring officials that were rushing off to do the million and one things they had been trying to do before her stupid injury had distracted them.

 

_Selfish. Selfish, selfish, selfish._

 

It was what Rusev had said when she had hesitated about accompanying him to the ring for his match with Shinsuke Nakamura. She hadn't meant to be self-absorbed...but the Rumble match was so important to her; she spent so much time with Rusev focusing on his matches that sometimes she didn't feel like she got a real chance to show her abilities as a wrestler in matches of her own...but then that was quite selfish, Lana supposed. She'd been thinking about showing off, when Rusev needed her support to win the United States Championship.

What was winning a match that entitled her to a championship match, compared to an actual championship match? She probably wouldn't even have won the Rumble, anyway; she hadn't stood a chance: not compared to Tamina's strength, or the Iiconics' friendship, or Xia Li's athleticism, or Mickie James' experience, or Carmella's guaranteed number 30 spot.

She had been selfish: focusing on winning when it was a pipe dream. When her husband had had a very real chance of winning an actual championship tonight.

 

_Oh, it's all such a mess._

 

Looking up, Lana noticed that there was currently a lull in the people hurrying to and from gorilla position, and decided this was probably the best opportunity she was going to get to make a move.

She didn't want to go to the trainers' room, or watch as the other girls cam back from the ring, all she wanted to do was find Rusev and go back to the hotel room. The sooner she could go to bed, the sooner this awful night could be over.

Hobbling along slowly, leaning on anything sturdy enough to offer her some support, she made her way carefully through the twisting corridors, until she realised that she didn't actually realise where she was going...and that she hadn't seen anyone to ask for advice for a little while now. Lana looked around, trying to see if she could find a sign pointing her to a place she might be able to get her bearings...but there was nothing.

Because of course there wasn't. That was just the kind of day she was having.

Continuing through the quiet hallways, Lana stubbornly kept going: determined to either find the women's locker room, or someone that could point her in the right direction to find it. It shouldn't take her too long - and besides, she was sure Rusev was looking for her. He'd promised to watch her enter the Rumble, even if he'd rolled his eyes and told her it was pointless to enter with her injured ankle. He had to have seen her get attacked by Nia, and that she'd been forced backstage by Becky taking her spot in the match. He would be looking for her even as she thought.

 

"You lost?" drawled a voice that was familiar but certainly didn't belong to her husband.

Whirling round (or trying to) she came face to face with the man who had kicked off her string of bad luck. Shinsuke Nakamura himself. "I am _not_ lost."

He raised an eyebrow as she teetered on her good leg, but didn't comment: "No?"

"I am merely taking a moment for myself to think."

 

It was a blatant lie.

Lana could feel her face was hot, and that her eyes were red and puffy from crying silently as she had wondered the building alone. She knew that she could barely stand up straight, and that she looked ridiculous in one ring boot and one sneaker.

But she'd be damned if she let Nakamura see her cry.

 

"It's good to think." Nakamua nodded, as if she had said something very wise: "I will leave you too it."

"Yes. Do that."

  

He turned to leave, and Lana watched him glide down the corridor.

Just like everything else about him, the way he moved was odd. It was like he was ice-skating: the movements smooth and elegant, but exaggerated in some ways. On anyone else, it would have been interesting, but right now Lana _hated_ Shinsuke Nakamura with a passion. So much that when she tried to turn around to walk in the opposite direction, she forgot about her throbbing ankle, and immediately but all her weight on that foot.

The white-light pain made her let out a high-pitched whine as her leg shook and almost immediately gave way: leaving her windmilling her arms desperately to keep her balance - and still starting to fall anyway. She could feel herself falling backwards...until suddenly she wasn't.

Strong arms wrapped around her waist: tight enough to stop her from falling any further, but gentle enough that she barely felt it compared to the warmth of the chest pressed against her back. She didn't really have enough time to dwell on it; as soon as she'd registered someone catching her, that person was carefully helping her re-find her balance: propping her upright until she could stand on her own. And, even then, she could still feel the warmth of the person standing close behind her: waiting to catch her if she stumbled again.

 

Slower this time, and with far more care, Lana turned to see Nakamura watching her with dark, unreadable eyes: "Thank you."

"You do not need to thank me." the strange man waved away her words, eyes still trained on her face: "You are very brave. But I think you maybe need some help right now."

 

Lana didn't want to admit it...but he was right.

She was lost. She was in pain. And she was so very, very tired. She needed help getting back to her locker room so she could get changed and find Rusev so they could go back to her hotel. So she nodded.

And Shinsuke pulled one of her arms over his shoulder, holding her wrist gently while his other arm wrapped around her waist: supporting her weight as he led her through the corridors at her pace. He didn't speak, or try and hurry her, or make her feel uncomfortable by staring at her, Nakamura just kept walking until Lana started to recognise their surroundings.

But he didn't leave her, saying he had more important things to do, or even get her to hurry up now she was walking more confidently: he remained a silent but steady presence, supporting her on the last few feet towards the door to the women's locker room.

 

"Thank you...Shinsuke."

This time, the man nodded: "You're welcome, Lana. I am...sorry, for what happened tonight. And for last week."

Lana sighed. She might not like the man, but even she had to admit it wasn't entirely his fault: "You are not the only one to blame. And besides, I am tough. I'll be fine."

Strangely, Shinsuke smiled: "You are tough. What you did tonight, trying to enter the Royal Rumble, was very brave. I admire your strength, Lana, both in here - " he tapped her temple lightly: " - and here." he smiled, careful folding her arm up until she was flexing her bicep.

"Again...thank you."

 

Shinsuke smiled, before carefully releasing her, and turning to walk away without another word - just like the strange, intriguing man he was.

But unlike his silent approach from earlier, this time he was singing.

 

"Lana is the best." _clap, clap._ "Lana number one. Lana is the best." _clap, clap:_ "Lana number one."


End file.
